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Babies can automatically sniff out the remedies they need to treat pain, anxiety and depression before learning to speak, an expert in animal healing has claimed. Caroline Ingraham discovered that animals will seek out herbal remedies such as St John’s Wort; valerian, neroli or arnica when they were suffering specific physical or behavioural conditions.

Even caterpillars will change their diet to eat more hemlock when infected with wasp larvae. And she soon realised that the effect worked on her own children as well.“I found that young children select for behavioural problems like separation anxiety,” she told The Hay Festival.

“I think the common factor for young children and animals is that they don’t have language so use their sense of smell. So before a child’s language develops it will use its sense of smell to really sniff out what it needs.”

Ms Ingraham said that parents could place essential oils on a handkerchief and place it on a pillow next to their child.

“They will inhale it for as long as they need to and then they will turn their head away,” she said. It’s really important to let them decide when they have had enough. If you had a child that wasn’t sleeping you could put it on a little hankie and place it somewhere where they can turn away.”

When Nilufer Atik’s doctor recommended she try the herbal medicine St John’s Wort for her mild depression, she gave it a go.

‘A close friend had passed away and I wasn’t sleeping,’ says the 39-year-old fitness coach from London. ‘From being happy-go-lucky, I was permanently down and tearful. I could have tried counselling, but I wanted a natural approach.’

She bought the capsules on the High Street, where they are readily available, and was careful to follow the correct dosage.

Three months later, still feeling down, she went on holiday to Turkey. She wore SPF30 sunscreen throughout but returned with strange, dark patches on her skin.

‘They were really noticeable on my face, back, stomach and sides of my arms,’ she says.

Nilufer went to a doctor, who gave her some antibacterial cream but the more her tan faded, the more the marks showed. Searching for a possible cause, she went online and found the same big brown skin patches had happened to others using St John’s Wort.

‘It said on the label that it could cause mild photosensitivity, but I didn’t think it was a big deal. I’m not daft with sun cream and was really careful — but it was too late. ’

Scientists found an increase in fibre, especially cereals, in the diet was linked to a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A new study shows those with the highest total fibre intake - more than 26g per day - had an 18 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those eating less than 19g a day.

Experts believe dietary fibre may help people maintain a healthy weight, which in turn reduces the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. But cereal fibre offered the best protection, according to the study published in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

People with the highest levels of cereal and vegetable fibre consumption were 19 per cent and 16 per cent less likely to develop diabetes, compared with those eating the smallest amounts.

Drinking more than four mugs of instant coffee a day could be dangerous – and even healthy adults are at risk, experts said yesterday.

The risk is particularly high for pregnant women - who should have a maximum of two cups a day - and young people. In its first guidelines on caffeine consumption, the EU’s food safety watchdog has advised a daily limit of 400mg.

The average mug of instant coffee contains around 100mg of caffeine.

The European Food Safety Agency warned those who break the limits run the risk of a host of health problems, from anxiety and sleeplessness to heart rhythm disturbances and heart failure. Its comprehensive review of literature on the subject also showed links between high caffeine intake in pregnancy and having a baby that is underweight. The NHS warns that too much caffeine can cause a miscarriage. There are also links to birth defects.

With the average espresso containing 80mg, the 400mg limit for adults equates to five espressos. However, some large coffees from High Street chains contain several shots of espresso – meaning someone could breach the daily limit after just a couple of cups. And a large, filter coffee from Starbucks, contains 400mg in a single cup.

The US government has dropped fatty foods containing cholesterol - long thought to cause heart disease and strokes - from its list of 'nutrients of concern', following the publication of a new report.

For 40 years, people have been warned against eating fatty foods containing high cholesterol, such as butter, eggs, red meat, shellfish and liver, because of supposed links to the substance in our blood.

But now the US Department of Agriculture plans to revoke their long-standing dietary guidelines and to focus on the amount of sugar people are eating, instead. It also wants to “de-emphasise” saturated fat, given “the lack of evidence connecting it with cardiovascular disease”.

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report concludes: "Available evidence shows no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and serum (blood) cholesterol. Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption."

US cardiologist Dr Steven Nissen, of the Cleveland Clinic, told the Daily Mail that it was the "right decision".

"We got the dietary guidelines wrong. They've been wrong for decades," he said.

He estimated that about 20 per cent of cholesterol levels in your blood come from your diet, which means the rest is produced by your liver and is actually needed by the body.

A journalist seeking to lay bare how the research behind fad diets can be “meaningless” and based on “terrible science”, has revealed how he tricked international media into believing that chocolate can aid weight loss.

Posing as Johannes Bohannon, Ph.D, the research director of the fabricated Institute of Diet and Health, biologist and science journalist John Bohannon ran what he called a “fairly typical study” used in the field of diet research.

German broadcast journalists Peter Onneken and Diana Löbl asked Bohannon to conduct a clinical trial into the effects of dark chocolate, as part of a documentary exposing how simple it is for bad science to make headlines.

“It was terrible science. The results are meaningless, and the health claims that the media blasted out to millions of people around the world are utterly unfounded,” Bohannon wrote of his in an article for io9.com.

A recent study finds that blueberries are even healthier than ever imagined.

If we review the landscape of health issues, two that lie at the root of a variety of health conditions are a lack of immune cells and a stiffening of the blood vessels.

When our immune system is deficient in natural killer T-cells the body can be subjected to a variety of autoimmune disorders. Cancer and tumour growth are also related to a lack of natural killer T-cells. And without enough natural killer T-cells, a minor infection can turn into a disaster.

When our blood cells become stiff, they are not able to pump as much bloodaround the body. This also leads to hypertension - high blood pressure - and the various issues that relate to that, including kidney issues and heart disease.

Drinking the herbal brew was linked with a 29 per cent lower risk of early death from all causes. But it's bad news for men, as positive effects were not replicated. Researchers say it's not clear why the tea prolongs women's lives, or why it only works for one gender.

Chamomile is one of the oldest, most-widely used and well-documented medicinal plants in the world and has been recommended for a variety of afflictions.

As part of the study, US researchers tracked 1,677 Mexican-American women and men for seven years, and looked at the effects of chamomile tea on death.

Kristin
DiMarco was heading into a Trader Joe's in West Los Angeles the other
day and knew for sure what she wouldn't be
buying: anything organic.

"I just feel like I've already built up an immunity to anything
that might be in my food," the 26-year-old told me.

Besides, she said, why would she want to pay a mark-up that can run
double or triple the cost of conventional food?

"I
don't think there's a big-enough difference in quality to justify
those prices," DiMarco said. She's not alone. The market research
firm Mintel released a study last week showing that younger consumers — the fickle Gen X and millennial crowds — are decidedly cynical about the high prices
charged for organic goods.

Only about 40% of Gen Xers believe that organic is organic, Mintel
found. And about half of all consumers think labelling something
organic is just an excuse to charge more.

"Consumers are increasingly hard-pressed to justify the added
expense," said Billy Roberts, Mintel's senior food and drink
analyst. "As such, sales have hit something of a plateau, where
they likely will remain until consumers have a clear reason to turn
to organics."

Underneath her clothes, Faith Eckersall wears an usual accessory that she credits with her good health. When the 50-year-old wakes up, she picks up a stretchy band with six magnetic beads strung on it, and loops it around her waist.

It’s this that she says has cured her chronic back pain for good. Faith is just one of many people around the world who are putting their health in the hands of magnets.

The theory goes that by wearing magnets somewhere on the body, they have a beneficial effect on blood circulation, increasing flow, bringing oxygen and nutrients to affected areas, removing toxins and soothing inflammation. This, in turn, is thought to ease pain and speed healing. And, surprisingly, experts say there may be something in it.

We have always been a nation of grazers. On average, we squeeze in at least two snacks a day on top of our three main meals.

But while we are now grabbing food on the go more than ever before, we are also considering the best choices for our health — and that isn’t crisps, with their high levels of artery-clogging saturated fat. According to the latest industry figures, sales of crisps fell by 1.7 per cent last year, while sales of nuts rose by 6.6 per cent.

‘There is a trend towards more natural, healthier products,’ says retail analyst Chris Longbottom, a director at Kantor Worldpanel, which helped compile the recent analysis of the snack industry.

Happily for nuts, they have enjoyed something of an image change. For years, their high fat content was seen as something to be avoided. But that message has now been flipped, with dietitians insisting that we need to consume more of the unsaturated fats they contain. These can help prevent blood clotting and maintain a regular heart rhythm.

A mental health charity has suggested that mindfulness treatments should be more widely available on the NHS, after revealing the results of a new YouGov survey.

Originally an ancient Buddhist practice, mindfulness is a form of therapy aimed at increasing people’s awareness of themselves, their emotions and the environment around them, through meditation, yoga and breathing.

As part of Mental Health Awareness week, the Mental Health Foundation has called for the NHS to make the practice available in all areas of the country to help those suffering from anxiety, stress, and depression.

According to a new survey, that is a significant number of us. YouGov and the Mental Health foundation have reported that 29 per cent of people are stressed; whilst 24 per cent suffer from anxiety and 17 per cent from depression.

A handful of walnuts a day could help slow the growth of cancer tumours, according to a new study.

Omega-3 fatty acids and other compounds in the nuts may reduce inflammation in bowel cancer cells. They also reduce blood supply to the tumour, significantly slowing down its growth.

US researchers found mice fed a diet high in walnuts had tumours containing ten times the amount of omega-3s than a control group.

Bowel cancer, also called colorectal cancer, is the third most common type of cancer worldwide and is the second leading cause of death in Western Countries, after lung cancer.

In Britain 41,581 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2011 and in the following year 16,187 people died from the disease. In the US, the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2015, there will be 132, 700 new cases of bowel cancer, and it will cause 49,700 deaths.

Research has shown that 30 – 50 per cent of bowel cancer in men, and 20 per cent in women can be prevented by changing to a healthier diet and lifestyle.

Eating avocados, spinach and olive oil could help build resistance to air pollution, say scientists.

They have found higher levels of vitamin E may help protect the lungs from particulates - tiny particles of harmful smog. These particles come from a variety of sources, including power plants, factories, trucks and cars and the burning of wood. They can travel deep into the lungs and have been associated with increased numbers of hospital admissions for heart attacks and strokes.

Vitamin E is important because it acts as an antioxidant to fight free radicals, the dangerous naturally occurring oxygen molecules blamed for various diseases. Because it protects cell membranes, vitamin E maintains healthy skin, eyes and strengthens the immune system, according to NHS Choices.Source - Daily Mail

Drinking orange juice every day could help improve the brain power of elderly people, researchers claim. And it takes less than two months to show marked improvements in memory, speech and reaction times, according to a study.

Scientists think the results are down to chemicals called flavonoids - a natural substance which occurs in high levels in oranges.

Research has suggested that flavonoids may improve memory through the activation of signalling pathways in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is associated with learning and storing information.

A research team from Reading University asked 37 healthy volunteers to drink 500ml - nearly a pint - of orange juice every day for eight weeks. The participants - 24 women and 13 men aged 60 to 81 - saw significant improvements in their brain function, the researchers found.

Their memory, reaction time and verbal fluency was measured at the beginning and end of the experiment, and each participant given an overall score known as ‘global cognitive function’.

The chances of having a heart attack, stroke or dying young may be hidden in the palm of the hand, a study suggests.

A trial on nearly 140,000 people in 14 countries, published in the Lancet, suggests grip strength is better than blood pressure at predicting risk. The international research team said it would be a "simple, inexpensive" tool for doctors. Experts argued the link between grip and the heart was unclear and needed more study.

The maximum crushing force you can exert in your grip naturally declines with age. But those whose grip strength declines fastest may be at greater risk of health problems, the study suggests.

A Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil and nuts has been found to potentially improve the memory and of older adults, a new clinical study suggests.

“This small study found that a Mediterranean diet, which is low in animal foods like meat and butter and high in vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, when supplemented with olive oil or nuts, is associated with improved cognitive function,” said Samantha Heller, a nutritionist at New York University’s Centre for Musculoskeletal Care and Sports Performance.

Doctors led by Emilio Ros at the lipid clinic, endocrinology and nutrition service at Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, randomly assigned 447 older adults who were around 67 years old, typically overweight but not obese, and at risk of cardiovascular disease. Many had high blood pressure or high cholesterol. They were told to follow one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with five tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 30 grams of nuts a day, or a low fat diet.

JIM AND LOUISE Laidler lost their faith on a trip to Disneyland in 2002, while having breakfast in Goofy’s Kitchen.

The Laidlers are doctors, and their sons, Ben and David, had been diagnosed with autism. For several years, on the advice of doctors and parents, the Laidlers treated their children with a wide range of alternative medicine techniques designed to stem or even reverse autistic symptoms. They gave their boys regular supplements of vitamin B12, magnesium, and dimethylglycine. They kept David’s diet free of gluten and casein, heeding the advice of experts who warned that even the smallest bit of gluten would cause severe regression. They administered intravenous infusions of secretin, said to have astonishing therapeutic effects for a high percentage of autistic children.

Using substances known as chelating agents, the Laidlers also worked to rid Ben and David of heavy metals thought to be accumulated through vaccines and environmental pollutants. With a PhD in biology as well as his MD, Jim Laidler had become an expert on chelation, speaking nationally and internationally about it at conferences dedicated to autism and alternative approaches.

If you're struggling with the usual sneezing and itchy eyes this spring, try eating a pot of probiotic yoghurt.

Probiotics, the friendly bacteria found in some yoghurts, can ease hay fever, according to research. The charity Allergy UK estimates that nearly 18 million people have hay fever in the UK. It is most common in children, particularly teenagers, but it is possible to suddenly become allergic to pollen at any age.

Doctors at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine reviewed 23 studies involving more than 1,900 people and found that probiotics cut the severity of the symptoms far more effectively than a placebo.

Scientists now think that many allergies are caused by a lack of bacteria in the gut. Humans evolved to live with bacteria, but cleaner environments have killed off important strains which kept immune systems dampened down to a healthy level. Without them the immune system is sent into overdrive by allergens like dust mites, animal hair or pollen.

A cup of green tea followed by a jog could stave off or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a study claims.

Researchers discovered a green tea extract, called ECGC, slowed the progress of the condition when combined with physical activity.

Mice allowed to exercise after being given ECGC showed 'remarkable' improvement in cognitive function and memory retention.

And the University of Missouri researchers now believe further study of a particular compound in the drink could lead to new treatments for the illness.

Grace Sun, professor of biochemistry at the University of Missouri, said: 'Oral administration of the extract, as well as voluntary exercise, improved some of the behavioural manifestations and cognitive impairments of Alzheimer's.'

Plaques and tangles in the brain are two of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. The third is the loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain.

It has been hailed as the secret to a long life and has been shown to prevent heart disease and depression.

Now, researchers have found the Mediterranean diet can protect against memory loss, too.

A study found people who eat a Mediterranean-style diet may be less likely to experience declines in their memory and thinking skills. The diet consists of plant-based foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruit, nuts, seeds and olives, extra virgin olive oil, fish, with moderate red wine intake. It also involves a low consumption of processed food, processed carbohydrates, sweets and chocolate and red meat.

As part of the study, researchers followed 27,860 people in 40 countries for an average of around five years. They were all 55 or older and had diabetes or a history of heart disease, stroke or peripheral artery disease, a common condition in which a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries restricts blood supply to leg muscles.